Cushioned package



March 16, 1965 c. R. wooo 3,173,535

CUSHIONED PACKAGE Filed Nov. 15, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet l 4 INVENTOR CHARLES R. WOOD March 16, 1965 c. R WOOD CUSHIONED PACKAGE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 13, 1962 mm M mw M 5 E R A H C Patented Mar. 16, 1965 3,173,535 CUSHTONED PAtIKAGE Charles R. Wood, Ariington Heights, Ill, assignor to Republic Packaging (Iorporation, Qhicago, ill., a corporation of Deiaware Filed Nov. 13, 1%2, Ser. No. 236,969 6 Claims. (Cl. 206-46) The present invention relates to the packaging of fragile articles, and has its most important application in the packaging of heavy fragile articles, such as electronic equipment housed in large, heavy cabinets and the like. The many techniques used heretofore for cushioning heavy fragile articles have met with varying degrees of success and there has been much room for improvement therein from the standpoint of the efficient and effective use of the cushioning materials, and the ease of assembly of the cushioning material within the boxes used to house the articles involved.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved prefabricated cushioning unit insertable in the bottom of a box for cushioning heavy fragile articles against vertical and lateral thrusts. A related object of the invention is to provide a cushioning unit as just described which requires a minimum amount of cushioning material to satisfy a given cushioning job.

till another object of the invention is to provide a cushioned box construction which includes a unique relationship between a prefabricated cushioning unit in the bottom thereof satisfying the objectives referred to above and an internally cleated bottom box wall where the lateral thrusts against the sides of the box are materially reduced thereby.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cushioning unit as described above which can be made from elongated pieces of plastic foam material. A related object of the invention is to provide elongated pieces of extruded plastic foam material having a unique irregularly shaped cross-section enabling various cushioning units to be constructed having different sizes and cushioning characteristics by orienting the pieces in different ways prior to the assembly of the pieces into a complete cushioning unit.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the cushioning unit comprises a body of resilient compressible material, such as polyethylene foam, forming an open centered, horizontally extending, rectangular, frame-like structure. The body of material has a horizontally extending, upwardly facing ledge located along the inner margins of the frame-like structure in a plane between the top and bottom thereof. The outer margins of the ledge are in alignment with inwardly facing, upwardly extending vertical surfaces adapted to surround the article involved, to cushion the same against lateral thrusts. The weight of the article to be supported by the cushioning unit is efficiently distributed over the body of resilient material by a relatively rigid layer of material covering the ledge and extending into the body of cushioning material to distribute the weight of the article involved over a greater area than the ledge.

Each side of the body of cushioning material is most advantageously made of an elongated extruded piece of plastic foam material, the ends of the pieces being adhesively or otherwise secured together to form a rectangular frame-like structure. Inwardly facing horizontal recesses are formed in the vertical inwardly facing surfaces of the frame-like structure to accommodate the peripheral portions of the layer of rigid material extending into the cushioning unit.

The cushioning unit of the invention is most advantageously used in conjunction with a box bottom having cleats extending around the margins of the upper surface thereof. The bottom of the cushioning unit rests on the box bottom and the outer margins thereof are undercut to form a marginal recess which conforms to the shape of the cleats. The cushioning unit thus hugs the top and inner side surfaces of the cleats. The cleats are preferably positioned outwardly of the bottom of the cushioned article involved and the upper surface of the cleats are above the bottom of the article, so that the cushioned lateral thrusts of the article are taken, at least in part, by the cleats rather than entirely by the side walls of the box.

Other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent upon making reference to the specification to follow, the claims and the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of the various parts making up a cushioned package of the present invention prior to the addition of an open-bottom box body which completes the package;

FIG. 2 illustrates the components of FIG. 1 in their assembled relation;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the completed package where an open-bottom box body is applied over and secured to the assembly of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged vertical section through the package of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a piece of cushioning material just cut from a roll of such material, the piece forming one side of the frame-like body of the cushioning unit constituting a part of the assembly of FIGS. 1-3; and

FIGS. 6 through 8 are fragmentary vertical sections through the bases of three different cushioned packages utilizing cushioning units constructed from the same stock of cushioning material shown in FIG. 5 oriented in three different positions.

The heart of the cushioned package of the present invention is a unique cushioning unit 2 which is inserted between an article 4 to be cushioned and the bottom or base portion of a box or other container in which the article is to be packaged. In the illustrative embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, a box is illustrated comprising an open-bottom box body 8 and a base 6 to which the box body is secured after assembly of the cushioning unit 2, and the article 4 carrying an upper cushioning unit 10 upon the base 6 in a manner to be described.

The base 6 is preferably constructed in the form of a skid which is adapted to receive the lift arms or fork of a conventional lift mechanism (not shown) used to lift, lower and carry the completed package from one location to another. To this end, the box bottom comprises a bottom wall or platform (in having a pair of depending foot members 6b6b secured as by nailing along a pair of opposite margins of the wall 6a. The foot members 6b6b elevate the bottom Wall 611 and provide a clearance space 60 therebetween for receiving the lift arms of the conventional lift mechanism referred to. A series of cleats 6d are secured along the margins of the top surface of the bottom wall 6a for reasons to be explained.

The cushioning unit 2 is designed to fit over and within the cleated margins of the wall 6a of the base 6. The cushioning unit includes an open centered, rectangular, frame-like body of cushioning material 2a comprising two adjacent, orthogonally related pairs of spaced parallel legs 217-21) and 2b2b. The legs 2b of the body of cushioning material are preferably made of separate elongated pieces of cushioning material having mitered ends 2d (FIG. 5) which are adhesively or otherwise secured together to form a rectangular frame with mitered joints 29. The elongated pieces of cushioning material have identical irregularly shaped cross-sections as illustrated,

and each piece most advantageously is an integral body of extruded polyethylenefoarn or other similar material cut from a roll of such 'material.

When the cushioning unit is used with a cleated base 6 as described,the cross-sectional shape of each of the pieces of cushioning material can perhaps best bedescribed as a rectangle which has been truncated,"preferably unequally, i

at a pair of diagonally opposite corners thereof, to provide oppositely projecting wings or flanges Zf-Zg' having diflerentlengths gand thicknessesfor reasons to be explained. It should be understood, however, that inaccordance with the broader aspects of the invention'the Wings 2) and 2g may have the same'length and thickness. In-FIG. 4, the shorter wing 2g extends horizontally outwardly from the outside of the body of cushioning material and the longer wing 21 extends horizontally inwardly from the inside thereof. (In the cushioning bodies 2a, 2a" and 2a, the Wings 2] and 2g have other orientations to be described.) In any event/the body of cushion-j' ing material 2a has a horizontally extending, outwardly facing ledge 11 positioned along the inner margins thereof in a plane between the top and bottom planes of the body of cushioning material. In the form of the invention shown in FIG. 4, the ledge 11 is located at an elevation appreciably below the top of the cleats 6d when thecushiom' ing unit is mounted in place thereon; There, the ledge 11 is defined by the upwardly facing surface of the'relatively long wing or flange 2 The portion of the body of cushioning material below thisledge, which in FIG. 4 is' sometimes referred to as the lower cushion-forming portion of the body of cushioning material, cushions the article 4 against downwardthrusts. The outermargius of the ledge fall along the outer margins'of the article 4. The portion of the body of cushioning material above the ledge 11, Sometimes referred to as'the upper cushionforming portion of the body of cushioning material 2a, has vertical, inwardly facing surfaces 13 which are in alignment with the outer margins of the ledge 11 and thus en: gage the sides of the article 4.

The outwardly projecting wings or flanges Zgof the body ;of cushioning material 2a shown in FIG. 4 have downwardly facing surfaces 15 which engage the top of the cleats 6d. The inner margins of the surfaces 15 in upon; The panel 21' is preferably adhesivelysecured to the'defining walls of the recess 23 so that a completely integral cushioning unit is provided.

In the case where the article 4 has appreciable vertical dimensions, it will usually benecessary to add a second cushioning unit 10 near the upper portion of the article. The cushioning unit 16 includes a frame portion 10a having-afrectangular cross-section, the frame portion havingan open center for snugly receiving the upper end of the rectangula'r article 4.;The width of the portion 10a is such as to extend snugly between the article 4 and the inner surfaces of the box body 8, as best shown in FIG. 4.

'Athin sheet ofcushioning material 1012 is provided which is secured between a pair of opposite legs of therectangular base portion .l'tiaito forma strap for suspending the base portion ltia on the top of the article '4. a

The procedure for, assembling the: package of the illustrated embodiment of the'invention is as follows: After the cushioning'unit 2 is placed upon the. base 6, the, article 4 is placed upon the cushioning unit panel 21 which distributes the'weight of the article over an appreciable area of the body of cushioning material 2a. The sides of the article 4 will then be engaged by the inwardly facing vertical wall surfaces 13 of the. body of cushioning material. The upper cushioning unit 10 is then applied Over. the top of the article. i

The next step in the assembly operation is the placement of the open-bottom box body8 over the article 4.

terse'ct depending vertical surfaces 17 which engage the inner sides of the cleats 6d. Viewed as a whole, the body I 'cross-section'three diiferent cushioning .units 2a, 2a"

of cushioningmater'ial can be said to be undercut to form a downwardly and outwardly facing marginal recess 19 which generally conforms to the shape of the cleats 2d.

The vertical inner margins of the recess 19 intersect the bottom surface 20 ofthe body of cushioning material p which rests on the platform 6a. The outer. margins of the The outer faces of the cleats 6d are preferably flush with the, edges of-th'e platform 6a to form a convenient nailing member for the bottom rim portion of the box body 8-. The bottom of the box body is preferably positioned to be flush with the bottom of theplatformea so that the clearance space-6c is 'not obstructed thereby. The rigidity of the exteriorof the box body 8 may be, enhanced by nailing external cleats 8b around the sides and top of the box bodyS. Any downward vertical thrusts of the article 4 are absorbed by the cushioning material below the panel 7 21 and lateral thrusts are transmitted in part to the cleats 6d and 'in' part to the side walls of the box body 8 through the body of cushioning material.

7 As previously indicated, the two wings or flanges 2f and 2g of each of the pieces making upeach side of the illustrative body-of cushioning material 2a have unequal lengths and thicknesses sothat different cushioning units can be constructed from the same stock of material. This is illustrated in FIGS. 6 through 8 which show in side of the frame so that the long wing Zfof each piece of cushioning material is at the top of the cushioning unit and extends outwardly. The panel-receiving recesses 23' are cut at the level of the top surface of the lower 1 inwardly extending short wing 2g.

rigid panel 21 which, for example, may be made of cardboard or wood, etc. The panel 21 rests upon the'ledge 11 and extends into the bodyof cushioning material to distribute the weight over a greater area than the area of the ledge. The top of the panel 21 is substantially below thelevel of the cushion body surfaces 19, so that lateral thrusts of the article 4 will be transmitted in part to the The body ofcushioning material 2a" shown in FIG. 7 is formed by orienting the pieces of cushioning material making up each side of the cushioning unit so that the long wing 2 points downwardly on the inside of the cushcleats 6a. In the form of the invention shown in FIG. 4,

the. inner margins of the body of cushioning material are provided with channels or recesses 23 extending horizontally partway through the body, the bottom defining wallsiof therecesses preferably forming an extension of the ledge 11. The recesses are preferably out in the stock of extruded plastic material after the size and cushioning, characteristics of the cushioning unit have been decided the case of the latter cushioning units.

ioning unit. 1

The body of cushioning material 2a' shown in FIG. 8 is formed by orienting the pieces of material making up each side of the cushioning unit so thatthe long wing 2f pointsupwardly on the outside of the cushioning unit.

The forms of thefcushioning units shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 differ from the forms of the invention shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, among other things, in that the articles 4 in the former unit are positioned abovethe cleats 6d so that lateral thrusts are not transmitted to the cleats 6d, as in Thus, for a given thickness in the walls of the .boxkbody 8, theforms of the invention shown in FIGS. 4 and 6 will be materially stronger than those shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. It should also be noted that the area over which the weight of the articles are distributed and the thickness of the cushioning material beneath and at the sides of the article involved differ in the forms of the invention shown in FIGS. 4, 6, 7 and 8.

It should be understood that numerous modifications may be made in the preferred forms of the invention described above without deviating from the broader aspects of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A cushioning unit insertable between a fragile article and the bottom of a box, said unit comprising: a body of resilient compressible foam-like cushioning material forming an open centered, horizontally extending, rectangular, frame-like structure, said body of material having a horizontally extending upwardly facing ledge located along the inner margins thereof in a plane intermediate the top and bottom planes of the body of cushioning material, wherein the cushioning material below the same cushions the article against downward thrusts, and inwardly facing vertical surfaces above and aligned with the outer margins of the ledge and adapted to surround the article to cushion the same against lateral thrusts, and force distributing means comprising a relatively rigid layer of material covering said ledge and extending horizontally into said body of material to distribute the weight of said article over a greater area than said ledge and over a constant thickness of cushioning material.

2. A cushioning unit insertable between a fragile article and the bottom wall of a box, said unit comprising: a body of resilient, compressible, foam-like material forming an open centered, horizontally extending rectangular frame-like structure, said body of material having a horizontally extending upwardly facing ledge positioned along the inner margins thereof in a plane intermediate the top and bottom planes of the body of cushioning material wherein the cushioning material below the same cushions the article against downward thrusts, and inwardly facing vertical surfaces above and aligned with the outer margins of the ledge and adapted to surround the article to cushion the same against lateral thrusts, and the inner margins of said body of material being horizontally undercut at the level of said ledge, and a rigid layer of material on said ledge extending into said undercut portion to distribute the weight of the article over a greater area than that of said ledge and over a constant thickness of said cushioning material to form a marginal recess which conforms to the shape of said cleats.

3. A cushioning unit insertable between a fragile article and said unit comprising: an integral homogeneous body of resilient, compressible, foam-like material forming an open centered, horizontally extending rectangular framelike structure, said body of material having a horizontally extending upwardly facing ledge positioned along the inner margins thereof in a plane intermediate the top and bottom planes of the body of cushioning material, wherein the cushioning material below the same cushions the article against downward thrusts, and exposed inwardly facing vertical surfaces above and aligned with the outer margins of the ledge and adapted to surround the article to cushion the same against lateral thrusts, said vertical surfaces being horizontally undercut at the level of said ledge to provide a horizontal recess extending partway through said body of material, and force distributing means comprising a relatively rigid layer of material covering said ledge and extending into said recess of cushioning material to distribute the weight of said article over a greater area than said ledge, said exposed vertical surfaces of said body of cushioning material taking the entire lateral thrust of said article, and the body of cushioning material outside of said inwardly facing vertical surfaces compressing to a greater degree for a given force thereagainst than the cushioning mate- 6 rial below said force distributing means, wherein heavy downward forces and much lighter lateral forces are both cushioned to a similar degree.

4. In combination with a box and an article enclosed by the box, a cushioning unit between said article and the bottom of the box, said cushioning unit comprising a body of cushioning material having a lower cushionforming portion having a bottom surface contacting the bottom of the box and a top surface underlapping the article, to cushion the bottom of the article, said body of cushioning material further having an upper cushionforming portion extending between the inner surface of said box and the sides of the article to cushion the sides of the article, and force distributing means between the bottoms of said article and the body of cushioning material, said force distributing means comprising a relatively rigid layer of material covering the exposed top surface of said lower cushion-forming portion and extending horizontally into the body of cushioning material to distribute the weight of the article over a much greater area than the exposed portion of said cushioning unit and over a constant thickness of the cushioning material.

5. In combination with a box body and an article enclosed by the box body, the box body having a bottom wall with cleats extending along the margins of the upper surface of the bottom wall, said box cleats being spaced outwardly of the bottom of the article and the top of the cleats being in a plane above the bottom of the article, a cushioning unit between said article and the bottom of the box body, said cushioning unit extending around the top of the cleats and between the cleats and the sides of the article as well as beneath the marginal portions of the article to cushion the bottom of the article and the sides of the article in a manner wherein the cleats receive the force of lateral thrusts of the article through said cushioning unit.

6. In combination with a box body and an article enclosed by the box body, the box body having a bottom wall with cleats extending along the margins of the upper surface of the bottom wall, a cushioning unit between said article and the bottom of the box body, said cushioning unit comprising a body of cushioning material having a lower cushion-forming portion having a bottom surface contacting the bottom wall of the box body, sides positioned against the inner faces of said cleats and a top surface underlapping only the marginal portions of the article to cushion the bottom of the article, said body of cushioning material further having an upper cushionforming portion bearing on the top of the cleats and extending between the inner surface of said box body and the sides of the article to cushion the sides of the article, said body of material having a constant cross-sectional configuration throughout its length, said cross-sectional configuration following generally the outline of a rectangle having unequally truncated diagonally opposite corners providing a pair of oppositely protecting wing portions having different lengths and thicknesses.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,272,884 2/42 Zimmerman 2175 3 2,320,170 5/43 Bishop et a1. 22015 2,376,530 5/45 Dittmann 229-14 2,410,179 10/46 Dygren 21753 2,486,711 11/49 Harris 20646 2,674,433 4/54 Mautner 20646 2,746,824 5 5 6 Bond 206-46 2,994,425 8/61 Honeycutt 20646 3,064,901 11/ 62 Linnell 206-46 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,102,644 3 61 Germany.

83 8,059 6/60 Great Britain.

THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner. 

1. A CUSHIONING UNIT INSERTABLE BETWEEN A FRAGILE ARTICLE AND THE BOTOM OF A BOX, SAID UNIT COMPRISING: A BODY OF RESILIENT COMPRESSIBLE FOAM-LIKE CUSHIONING MATERIAL FORMING AN OPEN CENTERED, HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING, RECTANGULAR, FRAME-LIKE STRUCTURE, SAID BODY OF MATERIAL HAVING A HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING UPWARDLY FACING LEDGE LOCATED ALONG THE INNER MARGINS THEREOF IN A PLANE INTERMEDIATE THE TOP AND BOTTOM PLANES OF THE BODY OF CUSHIONING MATERIAL, WHEREIN THE CUSHIONING MATERIAL BELOW THE SAME CUSHIONS THE ARTICLE AGAINST DOWNWARD THRUSTS, AND INWARDLY FACING VERTICAL SURFACES ABOVE AND ALIGNED WITH THE OUTER MARGINS OF THE LEDGE AND ADAPTED TO SURROUND THE ARTICLE TO CUSHION THE SAME AGAINST LATERAL THRUSTS, AND FORCE DISTRIBUTING MEANS COMPRISING A RELATIVELY RIGID LAYER OF MATERIAL COVERING SAID LEDGE AND EXTENDING HORIZONTALLY INTO SAID BODY OF MATERIAL TO DISTRIBUT THE WEIGHT OF SAID ARTICLE OVER A GREATER AREA THAN SAID LEGE AND OVER A CONSTANT THICKNESS OF CUSHIONING MATERIAL. 